Direct Treatment Costs for Patients with Lung Cancer from First Recurrence to Death in France

Abstract

Objective: To determine the direct treatment cost of lung cancer management from progression to death from the viewpoint of the hospital. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was performed. Data from 100 patients who died of lung cancer and who had received treatment from four different types of hospital were used; the hospitals were public hospitals (teaching and non-teaching), private not-for-profit cancer centres, and private hospitals. Resource utilisation/cost data collected included the cost of diagnosis of the recurrence, the cost of hospitalisations or day care treatments and ambulatory surgery. All resources were valued in 2001 euros. Results: In France, the average cost per patient was €12 518 for the whole group (78% with non-small cell lung cancer [NSCLC], and 22% with small cell lung cancer [SCLC]), €13 969 for patients with NSCLC and €7369 for patients with SCLC. The higher cost of treatment in patients with NSCLC is explained by longer survival and duration of chemotherapy. In patients with NSCLC, 51% of the total cost corresponded to terminal care, with up to seven lines of chemotherapy. In patients with SCLC, the costs of diagnosis and terminal care each represented 41% of the total cost. Conclusion: The cost of treatment of recurrence of lung carcinoma is high, and is related to the number of lines of chemotherapy and the use of radiotherapy and surgery.